Author Archives: Bob Ruggiero

About Bob Ruggiero

I am a passionate fan of classic rock (and related music) with nearly 30 years experience writing about it for daily/weekly newspapers and magazines. I am also the author of "Slippin' Out of Darkness: The Story of WAR." Available on Amazon!

DVD Review: ZZ Top – That Little Ol’ Band from Texas

Posted on July 18, 2020

ZZ Top: That Little Ol’ Band From Texas 125 mins./DVD + Blu-Ray, $29.98, Eagle Rock Entertainment Last year, the three members of ZZ Top  – singer/guitarist Billy Gibbons, singer/bassist Dusty Hill, and drummer Frank Beard – celebrated 50 years together, … Continue reading →

Posted in Rock Docs, ZZ Top | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How Kansas Returned to “The Point of Know Return”

Posted on June 28, 2020

Kansas guitarist Rich Williams vividly remembers a certain day in 1977 that still has an impact on his life and career in 2019. His band had just finished playing a show in Chicago when they headed for a studio which … Continue reading →

Posted in Kansas | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Janis Joplin Finally Gets the Book She Deserves

Posted on May 24, 2020

Janis: Her Life and Music By Holly George-Warren 400 pp., Simon & Schuster, $28.99 Rock’s first female superstar has already been the subject of a numerous biographies, memoirs by those who loved and worked with her, documentaries, and even a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Janis Joplin | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Simon Kirke’s Good Music with Bad Company

Posted on May 14, 2020

It was the middle of 1973, and drummer Simon Kirke’s band was in complete and utter disarray. Though Free had only scored one hit in the U.S. (“All Right Now”) they were a popular concert attraction. But the group had … Continue reading →

Video | Posted on May 14, 2020 | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Authors Offer a Texas Flood on the Life and Music of Stevie Ray Vaughan

Posted on April 9, 2020

It’s October 3rd, 2019 when Alan Paul and Andy Aledort – co-authors of the new bio Texas Flood: The Inside Story of Stevie Ray Vaughan – are on the phone. The date is appropriate because it would have been the … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Stevie Ray Vaughan | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

And From Stephan Pastis in “Pearls Before Swine…”

Posted on April 5, 2020
Image | Posted on April 5, 2020 | Leave a comment

The Continuing Voyage of Pablo Cruise

Posted on March 26, 2020

One of the more interesting aspects of pop culture is when a musician or band whose songs have not graced the charts in years (sometimes decades), suddenly has an unexpected resurgence. It could be from a song well-placed on a … Continue reading →

Posted in Pablo Cruise | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bloomfield’s Big Book O’Blues

Posted on February 27, 2020

BOOK REVIEW Guitar King: Michael Bloomfield’s Life in the Blues By David Dann, 736 pp. , $39.95, University of Texas Press At one point in the mid/late ‘60s, Michael Bloomfield was considered by many as the country’s premiere blues-rock guitarist, … Continue reading →

Posted in Michael Bloomfield | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Peter Noone is Hardly a Hermit These Days

Posted on February 7, 2020

Peter Noone has heard it for years: “You should write a book!” After all, the lead singer of British Invasion band Herman’s Hermits certainly has a lot of stories he could tell. About hanging out with members of the Beatles … Continue reading →

Posted in Herman's Hermits/Peter Noone | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Michael McDonald and the Sound of His Voice

Posted on January 20, 2020

Note: This interview was conducted some months prior to the recent announcements of the Doobie Brothers being inducted into the 2020 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and their upcoming 50th anniversary tour and reunion with Michael McDonald. On “Hail … Continue reading →

Posted in Doobie Brothers, Michael McDonald | Tagged | Leave a comment